The library has many opportunities to provide important new services created by ever-expanding information sources and technology, as well as meeting the needs of a rapidly growing and changing community. Tax dollars, local revenues, and funds from the Friends support the basic operations of the library and provide some enhancements. Your gift is needed to help the library with the "over and above" things, and allows the library to seek improvements to its services.

If you are interested in making donations to the library, please see the following links for more information:

Memorials — The library is honored to accept memorial gifts. Please call or email Library Director Cathy Carter for details or any questions.

Books— The library accepts gift books. If you would like to purchase a book in honor of an occasion or person, please call (231) 352-4671 or email Library Director Cathy Carter.
Used books for the book sale are also accepted. Please see our guidelines in the
"TOO MANY BOOKS" brochure.

As its name implies, this type of giving is planned and is usually accomplished through a will that assigns a part of your estate to the library. The gift may be designated to support the library's endowment, be unrestricted or directed to a specific project you have in mind.

How may I make a gift?

In consultation with your attorney and financial advisor, a bequest to the library may be made when a will is first created or later through a codicil to an existing will.

1. Endowment Bequest:

"I give to the Friends of the Benzie Shores District Library Endowment Fund the sum of __________ dollars (and/or ___________ shares of __________ Corporation and /or the following real property __________) through the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation."

2. Non-endowment Bequest:

"I give to the Benzie Shores District Library (BSDL) the sum of __________ dollars (and/or ___________ shares of __________ Corporation and/or the following real property ___________) to be used for general support purposes as determined by the BSDL Board."

The above sample wordings are offered for your consideration. If you have a specific recommendation for how you want a bequest to be used, your counsel should be made in a separate written document to the Board of the Benzie Shores District Library when the bequest is given.

Contributions to the Endowment Fund help to insure the continued viability of
the Friends and the Library, while providing the donor with a Michigan income tax
credit. Note: Contributions of $100 or more to the Endowment Fund also entitle
you to Friends of the Benzie Shores Library membership. — see Join the Friends.

There are three ways to contribute to the Endowment Fund:
Click here
to contribute online with a credit card via a secure connection. (Once that page
loads, click on "Make a Donation to the Friends of the Benzie Shores Library
Endowment Fund" link.)
Make a check payable to GTRCF (which is the
Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation). Please write "Friends of the
Benzie Shores Library Endowment Fund" in the memo line of the check. Please
drop it off or mail it to: